Truck



July 15, 1952 c. J. w. CLASEN TRUCK 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1948 ZZZ 3 INVENTOR. flaw cfflejnej' 62425222 Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUCK Claus J. Werner Clasen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey 7 Application February 5, 1948, Serial No. 6,492

10 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) This invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a truck incorporating novel interlocking means between the bolster and the side frame, and also incorporating novel friction means for damping the vertical oscillations between said bolster and side frame.

One object of this invention is to devise a bolster assembly including a bolster, friction means and an interlocking member wherein the parts are arranged so as to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of said bolster assembly with respect to the side frame.

A more specific object of the invention is to devise a bolster assembly with novel friction shoe means which need not be locked with the bolster during assembly and disassembly of the bolster with respect to the side frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel interlocking means for interlocking the bolster with the side frame.

A further object of the invention is to design friction means for mounting in a bolster which are inoperative until the bolster and side frame are fully assembled.

. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the specification and the drawings. wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an assembled railway car truck comprising one embodiment of my invention, with the right half of the bolster and side frame shown in section in approximately a vertical longitudinal plane bisecting the side frame, the friction means, however, being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in Figure l, the view being taken substan= tially in the horizontal planes indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the vertical transverse plane bisecting the truck as indicated by line 3-3 of Fi ure 1, with the bolster elevated to show the cooperation between the various parts; and

Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, illustrate a modification of my invention, Figure 4 being a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car truck, the left half illustrating the bolster in assembled position and the right half showing the bolster in elevated position during assembly and disassembly thereof with respect to the side frame, Figure 5 being a composite fragmentary view of the structure shown in Figure 4, the columns being shown in horizontal section and the left half of the bolster being shown in top plan and the right half of the bolster being shown in bottom plan, and Figure 6 being a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 4 and showing the bolster in elevation, the bolster being raised to the top of the bolster opening as during assembly or disassembly thereof with respect to the side frame.

Describing my novel truck in detail and referring first to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the side frame '2 is of truss type including a compression member 4 and spaced substantially vertical columns 6, 6 at opposite sides of the transverse center line of the frame, said columns merging at their upper ends with the compression member and in part defining therewith a bolster opening 8 substantially centrally of the frame.

A set of coil springs Hi, ID are seated in the usual manner on the frame, that is, on the tension member thereof (not shown), within the bolster opening 8 and afford a resilient support for a bolster assembly, generally designated l2.

The bolster assembly 12 includes a box-section bolster l4 having side walls I6 and I8 and top and bottom walls 20 and 22. The bolster I4 is formed at each side thereof with pockets 24, 24, each pocket being defined by spaced inboard and outboard walls 26 and 28 and a web 30 extending therebetween. The walls 26 and 28 and web 30 merge at their upper and lower edges with the top and bottom walls 20 and 22 of the bolster. Each sidewall is cored away between the inboard and outboard walls of the associated pocket so that each pocket is open to the adjacent column 6. On the adjacent sides of the inboard and outboard walls of each pocket are formed spaced inboard and outboardledges 32, 32 presenting coplanar crowned wedge surfaces 34, 34 on their undersides sloping upwardly toward the adjacent column. v

A friction shoe 36 is received within each pocket 24, said shoe being of skeletal form and comprising a front or friction wall 38 frictionally engaged as at 40 with a liner 42 mounted on the adjacent column 6. The shoe is provided at opposite sides thereof with spaced wing members 44, 44 presenting crowned wedge surfaces 46, 46 in wedge engagement with the associated wedge surfaces 34, 34. The friction shoe also comprises a top wall 48 affording a spring seat on its inner surface as at 49 (Figure 1) for the upper end of an actuating spring 50, andalso includes a rear wall 52 joined to the wing members 44, 44 and the top wall 48 and strengthening the construction of the shoe.

A rigid member in the form of a bolt 54 extends through the spring and loosely through an opening 56 (Figure 1) in the top wall 48 of the shoe, said bolt having a head 58 at its lower end affording a seat as at til for the lower end of the spring 50. 1

In the assembled position of the shoe and the bolster, the upper end of the shoe projects through a cored opening 62 in the top wall of the bolster, said opening being located between the inboard and outboard walls 26 and 28 and web 30 of the associated pocket. v.

2,eos,1 66

The upper end of the bolt is provided with a flange nut 64 threaded thereon,.-sai d nut seating as at 65 against the outer surfaceof the ;top wall of the shoe during assembly of the bolster with the side frame and interlocking member and hobbling the spring to the shoe as hereinafter described. The upper end of the bolt may be riveted over to prevent disassembly ofthenut with respect thereto. It will be notedthatthe bolt connects the spring with the shoe and is designed to precompress the long low stressed spring to a predetermined extent to reduce its-normal length to facilitate assembling the bolstenassembly with the side frame as hereinafter described.

Inthe assembledpositionof the bolster and side ,frame, the lower end ofthespring together with the 1 lower or head end of the bolt extend intoauwredout opening 63 inthe bolsterbottom wall- 22,;said openingfifi being insubstantlally vertical alignment with the top opening. 62 in the bolster top wall andbeingjlocated approximatelycentrally between the inboard and outboard wallsp26 andr28 and. web 30' of' the associated pocket 24. The head 58 of the bolt seats as at 68 (Figure 1) against the topsurface of a spring plate portion of. an interlockingmember 12.

The spring plate portion 18 of the interlocking member seats on its bottom side on all, of the springs ID as at 14, and is recessed into the underside of the bolster, its top side seating as at 16 against an upwardly offset portion 18 of the bolster bottom wall 22, which affordsa complementary fit for the spring plate portion 70, so that the springplate presentsa bottom surface coplanar with the adjacent spring seating ,portions of said bottom bolster wall, it being noted that the inboard springs seat partially against the spring plate portion 10 and partially against the underside of the bolster bottom wall 22.

The springs l0, ID are positionedon the bol ster-bydnboard and outboard depending lugs'80 and 82. The outboardlugs 82 together with a downturned flange '83 on the bolster abut asrat 84 against the. outboard edge of the spring plate portion 10 and with the edge 85 (Figure'3) of the bottom bolster wall 22, which is disposed at the inboard end ofthe oifset portion 18 thereof, confine the spring plate portion 10 therebetween and prevent its shifting longitudinally of the bolster.

The bolster isprovidedat each sidethereof with an inboard gib or lug 8B cooperatingwith the inboard side of the associated column 6 for limiting relative outboard movement of the bolster with respect to theside frame.

The spring plate portion 10 is provided at opposite sides thereof adjacent its outboard edge with laterally extending portions 83, 88 overlapping the adjacent outboard sides of the respective columns, as best seen in Figure 2. An integral upstanding gib or lug 90 is formed on each portion 88, the upper ends of said lugs 90 being received within slots or openings 92 in the opposite side of.v the bolster at the upper portions thereof, each slot 92 being defined by and betweenthe outboard wall 28 of the adjacent pocket 24 and a laterally extending substantially vertical lug 94 formed on the associated side wall of the bolster and spaced outboardly from the adjacent wall 28. Each lug 90 is preferably of full bolster height and interlocks withthe bolster at its upper end, as best seen in Figure 1.

The juncture between each lug 90 and-portion 88 is reinforced by an approximately vertical reinforcing gusset or rib 96 joining the outer or outboard. side-of the lug tflwith the top surface of the adjoining portion 88. The; lugs 90, extend laterally of the bolster and overlap the respective columns 6 and are adapted for engagement with the outboard sides of the respective columns for limiting inboard movement of the bolster relative the side frame and cooperate with .lugs 86 of the bolster for interlocking the bolster-withthe side frame.

In assembling the side frame with the bolster, the springs) are positioned in the bolster opening. Thebolster is then assembled by placing the friction shoes with their hobbled springs into the respective pockets. The end of the bolster with the shoes in thepockets is theninserted into the bolster opening from the inboard side of the frame and elevated to the top of the opening, the compression member of the side frame being cored away above the bolster opening, as at 98, to accommodate the upper portions of the bolts and. the shoes. It will be noted that during assembly of the bolster with the side frame the shoes seat on the bottom bolster wall and that the springs 50 with the lower ends of the respective bolts 54 extend below the bolster through the respective openings 66 in the bottom bolster wall. The interlocking member is then assembled with the bolster by inserting the spring plate portion thereof between the upper ends of the springs l0 and the bottom ends of the bolster lugs 32, said interlocking member being inserted into the bolster opening from the outboard side of the frame and adjusted in positionon. the springs so that the lugs 90. 90 align with the openings 92, 92 in opposite sides of the bolster. The bolster is then lowered onto the spring plate portion 10 so that the upper ends of the gibs 80, 90 are entered into the respective openings 92, 92 in thebolster. As the bolster is being lowered onto the spring plate portion Ill, the shoes with the bolts and springs are unseated from the bottom bolster wall and moved upwardly until the wedge surfaces 46, 4S thereon engage the bolster wedge surfaces 34, 34, and as the bolster seats on the spring plate portion 10, the bolts move upwardly through the openings 56 in the respective shoes and the springs 50 are further compressed so that the shoes are caused to slide on the bolster wedge surfaces and frictionally engage the friction liners on the respective columns inasmuch as the springs 50 in effect react between the spring plate l0 and the respective shoes.

It will be observed that the bolts are movable with their respective shoes and do not interfere with the action of the shoes and serve as spanning means between the shoes and the associated springs.

In disassembling the bolster and side frame from the assembled position as shown in Figure 1, the bolster is elevated to the top of the bolster opening, as shown in Figure 3, whereupon the springs 59 expand within the limits permitted by the bolts urging the interlocking member downwardly and away from the bottom bolster wall whereupon the gibs 90, 93 retract from the openings 92,;92 inthe bolster. The shoes become inoperative and disengage from the liners 42 and the bolster wedge surfaces 34 and seat on wall 22 of the bolster. The interlocking member 12 is then removed from the bolster opening by moving it longitudinally of the bolster outboardly of the frame. The bolster is then lowered until the upper portions of the shoes and bolts clear the 5 bottom of'jthe compression member and is removedfrom the bolster opening by moving it ndwise inboardly of the frame.

7 Referring now to the modification shown in Figures 4' to 6, the truck comprises a side frame I532 having compression and tension members I04 and I05 and spaced approximately vertical columns 83 merging with said members and defining a bolster opening I I therewith (Figured),

said opening being widened at its lower end as at H2 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The tension member provides a seat at the bot tom of the bolster opening-as at II4 for seating the lower ends of springs I I5, I IS.

The upper ends of the springs seat against a' spring plate I I8 which underlies a bolster I20 and".

- between for interlocking the bolster with the side frame. The outboard gib I32 is of less depth than the bolster and the widened lower portion of the bolster opening whereby the bolster may be assembled with the side frame by being inserted endwise into the bolster opening at'its widened'portion and elevated in the opening as is usual. The bolster is provided at each side thereof witha pocket I34 defined by spaced inboard and outboard walls I35 and I38 and a web I40 interconnecting said walls I30 and I38 (Figure Ledges I42, I42 are formed on the adjacent sides of walls I36 and I38, said ledges presenting downwardly facing, upwardly sloping, crowned wedge surfaces I44, I44. 1 A friction shoe I46 is received within each pocket, the shoe being of skeletal construction and identical with that shown in the previous embodiment and comprisinga front or friction wall I48 in frictional engagement as at I50 with a friction liner I52 (Figures 4 and 5, left) mounted on the adjacent column. The shoe I46 is provided at opposite sides thereof with spaced wing portions I54, I54 presenting upwardly facing wedge surfaces I56, I50 in wedge engagement with the associated wedge surfaces I44, I44 (Figure 4,

left). The shoe has a top wall I58 affording a seat as at I 60 on its inner surface for the shoe actuatingspring I62. The shoe also has a rear wall. I34 joining said wings.

A bolt I66 extends through the spring and through an opening I60 in the top wall of the shoe. The lower end of the bolt is provided with a head I affording a seat as at I12 for the lower end of the spring I62. The upper end of the bolt has a nut I14 threaded thereon for limiting downward movement of the bolt through abutment with the outer surface of the top wall of the shoe when the bolster is raised off the spring plate, as shown in Figure 4 (left) and in Figure 6. Thus it will be seen that the bolt limits the expansion of spring. I62 which facilitates asscm'bly of the bolster with the shoes and also assembly'and dismantling of the bolster with the side frame, inasmuch as the normal length of the springs is reduced so that, with the heads of the bolts, they donot extend below the lower edges of the'spring positioning-lugs through the respective cored out openings I16, I16 in the bot-' tom bolster wall. v I I In dismantling the structure, the bolster is elevated from the position shown inFigure 4 (left) to the top -of the bolster opening as shown in Figure -4 (right), the compression member being cored away as at I16 to accommodate the upper ends of the bolts and shoes which project through cored out openings I18,

I 18 in the top wall of the bolster. The plate and springs are-then removed. The bolster is then lowered and withdrawn through the widened portion II2 of the bolster opening.

The'shoes remain in the bolster with the shoe actuating springs extended within the limits per mitted by the bolts, the shoes seating-on their bottom ends as at I80 (Figure 6) on the bottom of the respective shoes.

bolster wall, asin the previous embodiment, and the nuts I14 seating against the outer surfaces It will beunderstood that as soon as the bolster in either modification is elevated, the springs expand within the limits permitted by the bolts whereupon the reactionof each spring is between the inner surface of the top wall of the associated shoe-and the top surface of said wall 'as transmitted by the bolt so that the shoes disengage from the columns and from the bolster wedge surfaces and remain loosely in the pockets. This arrangement permits the use of a long lowstressed spring having the required capacity to properly actuate the shoe. Also assembly and disassembly of the bolster with respect to the side frame and the shoes with respect to the bolster is relatively smiple.

It is to be understood that I-do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the de vice shown which are merely-by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the claims.

I-claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a column member, resilient means on said frame adjacent said column member, a rigid member seated on said resilient means, a bolster seated on said rigid member, a friction shoe pocketed in said bolster adjacent said column in wedge engagement with said bolster and in frictional engagement withsaid column, resilient means in said shoe, a rigid element extending through said resilient means and said shoe and having an abutment means at one end affording a seat for one end of said resilient means and projecting therewith into an opening in said bolster and seating on said rigid member, the other end of said resilient means seating against said shoe, said rigid element having abutment means at its opposite end adapted for abutment with a wall of said shoe for holding said resilient'means in assembled relation with said shoe during assembly and disassembly of said bolster with respect to said side frame.

'2. Ina bolster and friction shoe unit' fora railway car truck, the combination of a bolster member having a pocket in atleast one side thereof, upwardly sloping spaced wedge 'm'eans on said bolster member within said pocket; said bolster comprising an integral substantially horizontal bottom wall vertically spaced with respect to said wedge means, a friction shoe seated on said bottom wall and having spaced wedge faces adapted for wedge engagementw-ith said wedge means, a spring housed in said shoe between said faces and::projectine outwardly from theglower end of said shoe and through anopening-insaid b ttom wa1l, ,and-,a,,bo1t extendingthro l h said springhand, through a wallof said shoe precom-- wardly. toward ,the gadj acent column, a shoe ensgaging each surfaoeand the .associated;column, and a. spring assembly connected to each shoe and extendin through. a bottom wall of said bolster and reacting, betweenthe associated shoe and. said member, each assembly comprising a spring and means for'connecting the springto the associated shoe and limiting theexpansion of the-spring when said bolsteris lifted off. said member. I

4. In a truck, aside frame having spaced columns, abolster betweensaid columns, springs between the bolster and said frame, a bolster interlocking member between said springsand said bolster interlocked with the latter and overlapping the outboard sides of the columns, a shoe in each side of the bolster in wedge engagement therewith and in frictional engagement with the adjacent column, a spring in the shoe bearing thereagainst at one end, and a nutand bolt assembly extending through the spring and shoe and having a spring seat portion extending with the other end of the spring through an opening in the bolster and seating on said member, said assembly having abutment means engageable with said shoe for limiting the expansion of said spring when said bolster is lifted off said mem-. ber.

5. Ina truck, a side frame, a bolster spring,- supported therefrom, a member buttressed against the bottom wall of the bolster, a shoe in each side of the bolster in wedge engagement therewith and in frictional engagement with the adjacent column, a bolt extending through the shoe and the bottom wall of the bolster and having a head seated against said member, a spring within said shoe sleeved over said bolt and compressed between said head andvsaid shoe, and abutment means on said bolt engageable with the shoe to limit expansion of said spring when. said bolster and member are separatedduring assembly and disassembly of the bolster withrespect to the frame.

6. In a truck, a frame having a column, springs on the frame, a rigid member supported on the springs, a bolster having a bottom wall seated on said member, a shoe in the bolster in wedge engagement therewith and infrictional engagement with the column, and aspring assembly extending through an opening in said bottom wall and reacting between the shoe and said member, said assembly including a spring, housed inthe shoe and hearing at one end thereagainst and a spanner connected to the shoe and .extending aroundthe other end of thespring to engage and to limit the expansion of said'spring.

7. In a bolster assembly, a bolster having a pocket in at least one side thereof with wedge meanstherein, a shoe'seated on the bottom wall of said bolster within said pocket, 2. spring in saidshoeiextending through an opening in said bottom bolster wall, and a bolt partially precompressing. saidspring against said shoe tofacilitate assembly and. disassembly of said bolster withanassociated. side frame, said shoe having wedge means adapted for wedge engagement withsaid first-named wedge means, said bolt extending; axiallyof the spring and in abutment atone end with the shoe adjacent to oneendoi' the spring, saidbolt in abutment at the other end with the other end of the spring.

8. In a truck, av side frame, resilientvmeans thereon,,rigi d meansmounted on said resilient means, a bolster seated on said rigid means,;a shoe wedged between ,said rigid means andbolster,; spring means compressed between said shesv and rigid means urging said shoe into the wedged positionthereof, said spring means hearing at one, end against the shoe, and connecting means movable axially 0f the spring means and extending between said shoe and the opposite end of said spring means and accommodating compression of said spring means between said shoe and rigidmeans when said bolster is seated on-the latter and limiting expansion of said spring means when said bolster is unseated from said.

rigid means.

,9. In abolster assembly, a bolster having a pocket open through the top and bottom'and a side of .the bolster, spaced wedge means disposed on the sides of said pocket, a shoe in the pocket extending vertically between said wedge means and having portions extending horizontally between said wedge means and a bottom wall of the bolster, a vertical spring in the shoe ,compressed thereagainst and extending at itslower end through an aperture in said bottom wall, means connecting saidv spring with said shoe and limiting the expansion of the spring and accommodating compression thereof against said shoe, said last-named means and shoe being movable as a unit toward said wedge means, and wedge surfaces on the shoe adapted for engagement with said wedge means, said aperture being open to said side of the bolster whereby said shoe, spring, and last-named means maybe removed or inserted as a unit with respect to said pocket.

10. In a bolster assembly, a bolster having a pocket, spaced coplanar wedge surfaces in said pocket, abutment means on said bolster spaced vertically from said surfaces, a hollow shoe in said pocket seated on said abutment means and extending between said surfaces, a spring in said shoe in abutment at one end therewith and ;extending at theother end through an opening-in said bolster between said abutment means; "a spanner overlapping the other end of said'spring and connected to said shoe and formed andarranged to accommodate compression ofv the spring against the shoe and limit expansion of the spring, and wedge faces on said, shoe adapted for engagement with said surfaces.

CLAUS J. WERNER 'CLASEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the e of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,978,637 Knipe .Oct. 30, 1934 2,108,378 Larsen Feb. 15. 1938 2,129,408 Davidson Sept. 6, 1938 2,257,109 Davidson Sept. 30, 1941 2348x153 Couch, a May 9, 1944 2,392,597 Lehrman Jan. 8,'1946 2,501,081 Oelkers. .Mar. 21,1950 

